Device for regulating the discharge of grain-heaters.



v P. A. WEGNER. DEVICE FOR BBGULATING THE DISCHARGE 0P GRAIN HEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.8, 1910.

7 479 Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

r U mull FREDERICK A. WEGNER, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB, BYMESNE ASSIGN- MEETS, 0E ONE-HALF T0 HERBERT C. GRAHAM, 0F MILWAUKEE,WISCONEIN.

DEVICE FOR EEGULA'IING THE DISCHARGE 0F GRAIN-HEATERS.

strata.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2'7, 1910.

Application filed January 8, 1910. Serial No. 537,06t.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. Wee- NER a citizen of the UnitedStates, resldin at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, an

State of Wisconsim-have invented new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Regulatin the Discharge of Grain-Heaters, of whic the followin is aspecification.

My invention re ates to improvements in grain heaters, and it pertainsmore especiall among other things, to the device for regulating andstopping the flow of grain from the heater. I

Heretofore it has been common to wholly or partially close the dischargeopenings of a heater with a plurality of cone shaped stoppers, whichhave been inserted centrally in such openings whereby the grain, whenflowing, is caused to pass out in an annular stream around the stoppers,and experience has shown that the esca ing grain, when so controlled, isliable to ecome accidentally stopped or clogged.

e ob'ect of my present improvement is to provi e a stopper which isadapted to close the escape aperture gradually from one side toward theother, whereby the escaping grain is permitted to pass out in acontinuous stream and the liability of the same becoming accidentallyclogged in the passage, is avoided.

The construction of my improvements are further explained by referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which v Flgure 1 represents a sideview, part in section, of a heater rovided with my improved mechanism fdr regulating the discharge therefrom; and Fig. 2 is a detail inperspective, of one of the sto pers in connection with a supporting memer, by which the several stoppers are supported and adjusted in theirrespective apertures.

Like parts are identified by the same ref erence numerals in both views.

The steam chamber 1, grain duct 2, grain deflector or a itator 3 anddischarge funnels 3 are al? constructed substantially in the ordinarymanner, and invention is predicated herein more especially upon thearrangement and construction of the device for regulatingand stoppingthe flow of grain from the receivin chamber 4 as it escapes from thegrain tu es above.

5 is the bottom of the heater, which is provided with a plurality ofapertures 6,

through which the heated grain is permitted to flow from the heater.

7 are stoppers by which the escape of grain is regulated or stopped atthe will of the operator. The several stoppers 7 are supported from thesupportin member 8, which is adjustably suspended mm the bottom of theheater 5, by a plurality of suspension screws 9, having screw threadedearings in the stationary nuts 10, while the supporting member 8 restsupon the collars 11 of said bolts. The suspension screws9 are preferablyprovided with hand bearin s 12,

y which such screws may be turne upwardly or downwardly in the nuts 10,whereby the supporting member 8, together with the stoppers 7 may beadjusted in the discharge apertures 6. The stoppers 7 are provide uponone side with a downwardly inclined concave recess 13, whereby as thestoppers are partially withdrawn from the apertures, the grain is freeto escape in a solid cylindrical stream through the space between theconcave sides of said stoppers and the o posin sides of said apertures.

It will e um erstood that as said stoppets are raised by turning up saidsuspension screws, the apertures 6 will be gradually closed from oneside, while the grain will be free to pass in a solid stream from theopposite side. When, however, it is desirous to stop the escape ofgrain, said suspension screws 9 are turned upwardly until the extremelower ends of the stoppers are brought into the a ertures, whereby suchapertures are closed. Thus it is obvious that the escape of ain from theheater may be regulated to ow faster or slower or stopped at the will ofthe operator by turning said hand screws upwardly and downwardly intheir bearings. The bottom member 5 is retained in contact with thelower end of the heater inclosing walls 16 by the central rod 17 andsupporting nuts 18, and said rod 17 is connected at its upper end to theupper end of the heater.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by apertures for the escape ofgrainE-a plurality o stoppers havlng a vertical onvex side conforming inshape to and adapted to bear against one side of said apertures, and anopposite downwardly diverging side, said an opposite concave downwardlydiverging stop ers being adapted as they are raised side, said stop ersbeing adapted as they to c ose said apertures from one side and areraised to c ose said apertures from one means for adjustably supportingsaid stopside and means for adjustably supporting 15 5 pers In saidapertures, said stoppers in said a ertures.

2. In a grain heater, the combination of a In testimony whereo I afiixmy signature bottom member provided with a plurality in the presence oftwo witnesses. of apertures for the escape of grain, a plu- FREDERICK A.WEGNER. rality of stoppers having a vertical convex Witnesses:

10 side conforming in shape to and adapted to Jae. B. ERWIN,

bear against one side of said apertures, and 0. B. ERWIN.

